Shock-absorbing coupling.



D. F. SNEERINGER.

SHOCK ABSORBING COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.29,1910. 1,008,379. Patented Nov. 14, 1911 IDA-VII) F. SNEERINGER, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOCK-ABSORBING COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

Application filed September 29, 1910. Serial No. 584,521.

To all whbm it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID I SNnnmNoi-ni, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbing Couplings, of which the following is a specificio tion.

The present invention provides means for connecting two shafts or parts of a driving shaft so that any abnormal strain may be equalized, thereby preventing injury to the motor or to the part to be driven and at the same time insuring a comparatively smooth rurming mechanism free from jar such as commonly experienced when the driving power suddenly takes hold of the part to be driven.

The invention proyides means 'iarticularly adapted for coupling the drive shaft of an automobile to the transmission shaft, there by enabling the machine to be started slowly without experiencing any shock or jerk and at the same time diminishing the liability of injury resulting from st ain or a sudden throw of the load upon the engine.

The invention consists of the novel featurcs, details of construction and eoml' ina-" companying drawing, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, forming a part of the application, Figure l is a central seetional View of a shock absorbing coupling embodying the-invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line m a: of Fig. 1. Fig. is a detailsection on the line 1 v of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and indicated in all the views of the drawing, by the same referencecharacters.

The nunierals 1 and 2 designate parts of a shaft or shaft ends to be connected by means of the improved coupling. The adjacent ends of the shafts or parts 1 and are reduced and made angular, as indicated most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, to insure a tensioning of the springs mounted thereon. The extremities of the shafts are recessed and formed with rounded projections 3 between which acoupling block 4 is placed, thereby providing a universal joint. One of the rounded projections is yieldable and constitutes a block 5 which is fitted in a re cess (lformed in the end of the shaft 1. The

block 5 has a stem 7 which is fitted in an axial opening formed in the shaft 1, a spring 8 mounted upon the stem 7 normally tending to press the block 5 outward against the ad- 0 jacent side of the universal block 4, so as to maintain a tight joint. This construction prevents any knock in the shaft line incident to any play in the. frame or other part of the machine. .5

A'spring 9 has its inner end fitted upon the angular portion of the shaft 2 so as to turn therewith, said spring being of the coil type and preferably ,wound in a right hand direction. The spring 10 has its inner end :0 fixed upon the inner portion of the shaft 1 and is wound in a left hand direction. The springs 9 and 10 may be secured attheir in- 7 nor ends to the respective shafts in any manher so as to turn therewith and'msure the :5

winr ling thereof upon turning the shafts in the proper direction. The outer ends of the sprin s 9 and lOare connected in any manner, as by means of a casing 11 which encircles the springs, the casing having one side 50 closed and the opposite side being adapted to be closed by means of a cover 12 which is held in place by machine screws or other suitable fastenings. The casing. besides con necting. the outer ends of the springs. also forms a housing therefor and for the uni-- vcrsal joint formed between the extremities of the shafts. thereby excluding dirt. More over. the casing may be used for receiving the lubricant to insure free movement lid tween the parts to prevent any unusual wear. \Vhen power is applied to one of the shafts it tends to wind the spring connected thereto and to turn the *asing attached to the outer end of said spring. Theother spring transmits the power from the casing to the shaft to be driven. Any sudden strain coming upon the shaft receiving the driving force is neutralized by winding the spring connected directly thereto. thereby prevent ing the shock 'being transmitted to the eugine' or driving means. It is to be under stood that one spring supplements the action of the other, the shock however being ab sorbed and neutralizedby the strain tending 195 to wind the spring.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with "the accompanying drawing. the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readilyap-v parent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains and While I have described the principle of operation of thev invention, together with the device which. I now consider to be the embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown. is merely illustrative, and that their inner ends to the shaft ends, and. means connecting the outer ends of said springs.

.2. In combination, two shaft ends, rounded projections at the extremities of the shafts, one of said rounded projections being yieldahle, a universal block mounted be-- tween the two rounded projections, reversel'y wound springs having their extremities cor nected to the shaft ends, and means connect ing the outer ends of said springs.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID F. SNEEBINGER. VVitnesses JOHN J. SCHWARTZER,

NELLIE R. CRoss. 

